Australian Open Women’s Winner | 15th – 28th January 2018

Australian Open Women’s Winner | 15th – 28th January 2018

If the Australian Open men’s singles is full of minefields then the women’s singles is pretty much the same.

Defending champion Serena Williams is missing through injury which has left a huge void in the field and made the betting on the outright market one of the most competitive markets we’ve seen for a very long time.

Questions marks over front two

Number one seed Simona Halep in 188BET’S 6/1 tournament favourite and it’s amazing to think that after all the chances the Romanian has had she’s yet to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Halep seems to be excellent in the lesser tournaments but when she’s expected to do well at the majors she battles with nerves and that is why she won’t be carrying my money.

Next in the betting is Karolina Pliskova at 7/1 and she’s another who seems to have a major problem on the Grand Slam stage and with a disappointing end to 2017 with just one semi-final appearance in her last seven tournaments of the year, she’s another not to trust.

In-form Svitolina one to watch

Next in the betting at 15/2 is Elina Svitolina and she is the women to be on at Melbourne. Number four seed Svitolina is a real talent and of all the players the 23 year-old looks the most likely to take over from Serena as the undisputed number one in the women’s game.

Svitolina, like the other market leaders has yet to win a Grand Slam, but unlike Halep and Pliskova she hasn’t had many chances to and hasn’t bad memories to go back to in crucial matches.

The Ukrainian has started 2018 in fine fashion with a 5-0 success rate after her success in Brisbane where she beat Pliskova in straight sets in a one-sided semi-final.

Goerges the each way pick

Garbine Muguruza is a proven Grand Slam winner and many might look at the 15/2 and take a bit of that, but it’s worth noting that the Spaniard has retired from both Brisbane and Sydney already this year and looks a major injury concern as does Britain’s Johanna Konta. Konta is a 16/1 chance, she retired in her Brisbane loss against Svitolina and looked out of sorts in her Sydney first round loss against Angnieszka Radwanska.

At a big-price of 20/1 Germany’s number 12th seed Julia Goerges is worth a small each-way interest. Both Goerges and Svitolina are in the easier bottom half of the draw and there is no player in the women’s game in better form heading to Melbourne than the German.

Goerges won her last two tournaments of 2017 and arrives in Australia on a 14 match winner run after her success in Auckland to start 2018 off with a tournament win.